Between the Sky and the Sea

Publisher: Dragonblade

Lavinia Onslow, who delights in the freedom of managing her father’s millinery shop in the heart of Savannah, Georgia, has decided she may defy convention and not marry after all. Yet, in the summer of 1838, on board the elegant steamship Pulaski, bound from Savannah to Baltimore, she exchanges glances with an intriguing young man. What can ensue from a mere glance? Quite a lot, as legend has it. That very night, the boiler of the Pulaski explodes and the ship sinks, drowning most of its wealthy passengers. As Lavinia struggles in the water in her heavy dress, calling out for her father and thinking she will surely perish, someone dives in to rescue her, pulling her up next to him on a makeshift raft made of two deck settees. When she composes herself, she recognizes the intriguing man. There they float, alone but together, surrounded by ocean, thirty miles off the coast of North Carolina, desperate for a life-saving miracle.

Is the bond she feels for this stranger more than an instinct for survival?

Inspired by a legend --that may or not be true-- and set in the rich historic milieus of Savannah, New Orleans, and the coast of North Carolina, Between the Sky and the Sea explores how Lavinia Onslow’s desire to live as an independent woman transforms after surviving the wreck of the Pulaski.

Praise for Between the Sky and the Sea

“[Between the Sky and the Sea] may be chosen by historical novel readers for its extensive background research; by women's fiction readers for its realistic, astute analysis of the barriers women faced in their efforts to control their own destinies; and by general-interest readers attracted by the scenario of a shipwreck romance and survival story that proves to be so much more.

Libraries and readers looking for a tale which promises entertainment, then delivers a powerful punch of social inspection, will find Between the Sky and the Sea compellingly easy to recommend and hard to put down. “

— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review 

“I spent most of yesterday riveted to Between the Sky and the Sea, which doesn't happen very often. I loved everything about it -- the sea adventure, the romance (and the way Kline had Lavinia (and me) doubting Daniel's motives from time to time while keeping the steaminess of their desire going strong; the picture of Savannah with just enough detail... to give us a sense of the place, magnolia blossoms and mud included. I thought the characters were wonderfully drawn. I liked the way Kline added a new surprise every time the story settled down even a little bit. I loved the millinery shop, the tension between the sisters, everything. What a huge amount of research Kline has done. It's just a marvelous book.”

— Ellyn Bache, author of The Art of Saying Good-bye 

“Between the Sky and Sea explores the idea of whether or not two people who get thrown together through circumstance and tragedy, and quickly fall in love, are really meant to be a couple. The true historical details of the Pulaski steamship’s sinking and Lavinia and Daniel’s love story, along with vivid scenes of life in the 1830s in Savannah and New Orleans, makes for an engaging and fast-paced read. I was captivated by Lisa Williams Kline’s beautiful and moving historical romance.”

— Hope Carolle, author of the Ladies of the Labyrinth series.